2016 Draft Grades

After 6 years under the iron fist of Beast, Smilin’ Matt now heads up Mrs. Beast’s 2016 squad of all-stars

Now that the 2016 draft has been completed, we here at Spreadsheet Fantasy have mulled over the picks and graded each manager based on how they did. Please note these grades do not include keepers, as there are no letters high enough to cover Jordan Spieth and Jason Day being on the same team.

Mrs. Beast(A): After keeping an eye on the league since it’s inception in 2010, Mrs. Beast has apparently picked up on all the tricks of the trade. In just her first draft, she’s put together a solid team, drafting like a seasoned pro. The 1st overall pick of ever-consistent Matt Kuchar gives her a great base to build off of, with workhorses like Mark Leishman and David Hearn good bets to perform in the Tier Ones where her top guns may not play. There are a few question marks as to whether Louis “Oosterhoozen” can stay healthy, and Webb Simpson can adjust to the new putting restrictions, but despite those question marks, she still earns an A.

Lawrence(B+): He couldn’t make it to the draft in person, but we still got to see his face in 60 inches of glorious HD. Drafting over Skype, Lawrence did his homework and scored the best looking team in his five years of Spreadsheet Fantasy golf. Never one to miss out on International Talent, Lawrence loaded up on the Euros electing to take Sergio Garcia and Branden Grace in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, while others were loading up on American grinders. Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, and Cameron Tringale should serve him well as work-horses in between the big tournaments, and his International talent is a force to be reckoned with.

Phil Mickelson’s reaction to the news that he was drafted by Brent

Brent(B): If there’s one way to describe Brent’s 2016 draft strategy, it’s ballsy. Nearly everyone of his players is coming off a disappointing season in 2015, but that strategy does have it’s positives. Brent’s drafting of players with some significant question marks allowed him to get them at discount prices. Just last year Keegan Bradley was a keeper on Lawerence’s squad, yet he fell to Brent all the way in the seventh round. Billy Horschel is just one year removed from a season in which he won twice and captured the FedEx Cup, but Brent got him in the fifth. Phil Mickelson and Graeme Delaet also experienced a disappointing 2015, but have the potential to light up the scoreboard. There’s no doubt that some of his picks will flame out *cough* Luke Donald *cough*, but he’s loaded his team with talented guys, and the odds are in his favor that at least a few of them will reclaim their former glory.

James(B): After losing 2nd place to Daniel in the last week of the 2015 season, James came into 2016 hungry to hold that Richard J. Osicki Memorial Trophy again. Rostering only four Americans last season, James upped that total to six this year, hoping for better performances in tier one tournaments, a category he finished ahead of only Lawrence in for the 2015 season. Young talent like Morgan Hoffmann and Patrick Rodgers, paired with more experienced golfers like Casey and Scott should provide a great balance for a team that is looking to retake the trophy from his old man.

Beast(C+): Speaking of the defending champion, Beast sauntered into the draft like a man without a care in the world, list in hand. Given that Jordan Spieth and Jason Day alone would have netted him 3rd place last year, Beast has every right to be cocky. It wasn’t a great draft for the league elder (though he probably didn’t need it to be). His first two picks of Brandt Snedeker and Jim Furyk should pan out nicely, but after that things went downhill pretty quickly. He should have no problem fielding a full roster in Tier Ones, given his excessive number of grinders, but his top four should carry him whenever they play, and despite a questionable lower half, Beast is clearly the favorite in 2016.

Daniel(C+): It wasn’t a great draft for the three who couldn’t attend, but Daniel came out with the best result, with his picks based on the 2015 money list. At first glance his draft doesn’t seem that great, but he wound up with some pretty sneaky picks. Charley Hoffman and J.B. Holmes may not be the sexiest names, but they both performed well for him last year and tee it up in plenty of tournaments. Tony Finau was a great sixth round pick, carding 16 top-25 finishes last year and poised for an even bigger breakout in 2016. Daniel’s squad is a grinder’s dream and should get off to a great start through the first stretch of the season.

Tiger Woods at Bryce’s 2016 team photo shoot

Bryce(C): Family obligations kept Bryce away from the draft, but he still managed to draft a decent team. Much like Brent’s posse, Bryce ended up with a good number of players coming off disappointing seasons, perhaps none more so than an 8th round flier named Eldrick Woods. Hunter Mahan and Graeme McDowell are also looking to bounce back from their worst seasons in a long time. Bryce did manage to score some good young talent in Justin Thomas and Russell Henley, who fit nicely with his All-American themed squad. He’ll look to improve on a fourth place finish in 2015.

Jarret(C): Jarret also couldn’t make the draft this year, providing a list for Brent. Coming off a rough debut season, Jarret is looking to improve this year with a talented young team. He team may not jump off the page, but Jarret seems to have drafted a young consistent team that will play a lot and give him plenty of chances to post some solid scores. His final three picks of Lee Westwood, Nick Watney, and Jason Dufner all have something to prove this year, and have all performed at a very high level in the past. If those three can reclaim some magic, Jarret should have a great year.